BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1145
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 21, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
AB 1145
(Medina) - As Introduced February 27, 2015
[Note: This bill is doubled referred to the Assembly Education
Committee and will be heard as it relates to issues under its
jurisdiction.]
SUBJECT: Pupils: Early Commitment to College program
SUMMARY: Requires the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI), on or before November 1, 2016, to submit
specified data from the California Department of Education (CDE)
on the Early Commitment to College Program (ECCP) to the
Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO); and, requires the LAO to
submit a report on said data to the Legislature, on or before
November 1, 2017. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the SPI, on or before November 1, 2016, to submit to
the LAO, CDE data relating to ECCP.
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2)Requires the LAO, on or before November 1, 2017, to submit to
the Legislature a report relating to the ECCP, that shall
include, but not necessarily be limited to all of the
following:
a) The number of school districts and pupils participating
in ECCP;
b) The number of participating pupils who fulfilled the
requirements of the ECCP, as specified in existing law;
c) Any relevant outcome data reported by school districts
to the SPI, as specified in existing law; and,
d) The level of technical expertise and guidance provided
by the SPI to school districts participating in the ECCP.
3)Requires that the LAO, in preparing the ECCP report, to
provide a recommendation on whether the ECCP should be
continued.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the ECCP, with voluntary participation by pupils
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and school districts, for the purposes of accomplishing all of
the following goals:
a) Increase high school completion rates, direct
college-going rates, and college preparation of pupils
attending schools with the greatest poverty and among
low-income pupils in general;
b) Motivate pupils to prepare for college by taking college
preparatory coursework, which may include career technical
coursework and the course requirements for admission to the
University of California and the California State
University;
c) Help families understand that college is attainable and
affordable, that financial aid is available, and that with
the right preparation their children can go to college if
they choose to do so;
d) Provide a clear path and direct assistance for pupils
through middle schools, high schools, community colleges,
universities, and state and federal financial aid programs,
thereby improving opportunity and efficiency;
e) Strengthen the state's historic promise of college
access made in the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education
and express this commitment directly to middle and high
school pupils and their families; and,
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f) Prepare the highly skilled workforce necessary to keep
California's economy competitive, maintain the income and
quality of life for California residents, increase tax
revenues, and provide for improved civic and democratic
participation (Education Code Sections 54710 and 54711).
2)Specifies that school districts who choose to participate in
the ECCP, shall provide schoolwide college information and
college preparation events inclusive of pupils who sign the
"Save Me a Spot in College" pledge; defines "College
Opportunity Zone" (COZ) to mean the 30 percent of public
schools that maintain any of grades 6 to 9, inclusive, with
the highest proportion of "low-income pupils" (defined as a
pupil who is eligible for free or reduced-price meals);
specifies schools not designated as a COZ, are eligible to
participate, so long as they give pupils (enrolled in grades 6
to 9, inclusive), who are eligible for free and reduced-price
meals and/or their parents or legal guardians, the opportunity
to sign the pledge; and, specifies a pupil scheduled to
graduate from high school after 2017 shall not be allowed to
enroll in the program (EC Section 54711).
3)Requires the SPI to perform, including, but not necessarily
limited to, the following responsibilities: a) identify
schools as COZ; b) develop the pledge, as specified; and, c)
develop a letter addressed to pupils enrolled in grades 6 to
9, inclusive, and their parents and/or legal guardians, and
signed by the SPI and superintendent of the school district
that describes the major steps to prepare for college and the
postsecondary and financial aid opportunities available to
students in California; and, d) on or before November 2017,
submit a report to the Legislature on the status of the ECCP
(EC Sections 54712 and 54715).
4)Sunsets the ECCP on January 1, 2019, unless a later enacted
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statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2019,
deletes or extends that date (EC 54716).
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.
COMMENTS: Background on ECCP. Created via SB 890 (Scott),
Chapter 472, Statutes of 2008, ECCP was based on two values
widely shared by Californians: 1) educational opportunity; and,
2) joint responsibility. According to the Campaign for College
Opportunity, the ECCP was a way for California to renew the 1960
Master Plan (that any California student with interest in
attending college, could pursue a college education in
California), and for the first time, make college directly
accessible to students and their families beginning in middle
school.
The ECCP was launched in 2009 by the CDE; but due to limited to
zero resources given to the CDE to provide the necessary support
to the SPI in running the ECCP, Committee staff believes that
the ECCP may not have reached its full potential.
Need for the measure. According to the author's office, the
ECCP promotes social equity by connecting students who otherwise
might not attend college with the necessary tools and resources
on how to attend college. The author contends the ECCP benefits
the public good, as an educated work force results in long-term
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cost savings by increased tax revenue from more people going to,
and finishing, college.
The author states, "The Early Commitment to College program, if
implemented correctly, benefits all residents of California.
The goal [of AB 1145] is to inform the creation of a stronger
program that connects low-income students to higher education."
To note, Committee staff understands that the SPI may have
experienced challenges in meeting the requirements as set forth
in SB 890 and being able to produce a report on the ECCP,
however, the Legislature still needs a report in order to
ascertain if the intent and goals of the ECCP were achieved.
Appropriate entity to complete the report? There is currently
no coordinating entity for higher education in California. The
California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) shut down
in Fall 2011, and since that time, the state has continuously
tasked the LAO, in addition to the numerous reports they provide
to the Legislature, with performing many of the tasks that CPEC
previously performed. It is presently unclear if the LAO would
have the capacity to complete the report required pursuant to
this bill.
Moving forward, the author may wish to consider whether another
state research entity, such as the California Research Bureau,
has additional capacity to complete this report.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file.
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Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960